The (gluten free) chronicles of a 20 something living in Dubai, one gluten free day at a time.

Menu

Category Archives: Tips and Tricks

A couple of days ago, I stumbled across some posts on the internet about using honey to lighten hair colour. I have never really cared much for changing my hair colour. I don’t like unnecessary chemicals and dyes. But this seemed really intriguing so I decided to give it a shot!

My hair is dark and medium brown, straight, fine and I really wish it had more volume and that there was more of it. I wasn’t able to take a ‘before’ photo but I will put up some old photos where my hair can be seen.

There are so many different recipes out there for this so you can google it to find one that suits your needs. Here’s the recipe I used:

2 tbsp 100% honey

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp water (more or less, depending on how thick the honey is)

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

I chose to mix the first three ingredients together and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then I applied it to my hair one small section at a time. Cinnamon powder gives the hair a reddish tint, which I didn’t really want so I added it in right at the end and used it on the ends of my hair. It also tingles a bit, which I, again, did not want to feel so I only added a little. I then tied my hair in a bun and put on a shower cap. I washed my hair after 5 hours. Most people do this overnight but I didn’t want it on my hair that long. Most websites say that it should be on for at least an hour. After washing, do not apply heat. Do not use a hair dryer or straightener. Let your hair air dry.

My hair felt conditioned and really soft. Several strands have turned a shade lighter and it looks like I have highlights! It’s very subtle and will require a few more sessions to become more noticeable but it is still pretty cool! My hair has always looked light-medium brown in the sunlight but in normal light, it looks medium-dark brown. If you look at the photo, you’ll see that my hair has some medium brown/mahogany streaks. The non-mahogany coloured hair is my actual hair colour. Pretty cool, huh?

One of the worst situations is when you’re at home trying out different hairstyles and you just randomly pull your hair up and it looks good, and then you need a hair tie but you can never find one. If you have a group of girlfriends, or if you are in school/college, you probably have experienced a shortage of hair ties several times. There will always be a girlfriend every now and again who will ask to borrow an extra hair tie from you. Obviously, chances are, you might not even want it back after it’s been used. Or if you’re okay with that, your friend who ‘borrowed’ the hair tie is never going to give it back. Let’s just face it: A hair tie borrowed is a hair tie lost.

Moreover, I’ve noticed that many of the popular kinds of hair ties wear out pretty quickly. I’m talking about those thin black elastic hair ties with a little silver binding clip. I remember using them and having to throw them out after a few weeks because they wear out so fast.

Add that to the fact that someone always wants to borrow a hair tie and you will be in a shortage of it more often than you would like. It was back in school when I came up with this awesome idea. I have rarely ever bought hair ties after I came up with this. It saves me SO much time and money and I almost never experience a shortage! Buy one of these:

Elastic

It has been a life saver. You get a large amount of elastic for the price of 4-5 elastic hair ties. Obviously, buying the elastic is way more cost-effective. They are also often better quality and last much longer than store-bought hair ties. Here’s what you do:

STEP 1:Using one end, hold it around your wrist till it meets the other end of the elastic. I use this is a guide for how long I need the elastic to be. I like to wear my hair tie around my wrist for when I’m not wearing it so I don’t want it to be too loose. I do add an extra inch thought for tying the knot.

STEP 2:Cut it off when you’ve achieved your desired size.

STEP 3:Take both ends and tie a knot. Pull both edges (the loop and the extra bit after the knot) to tighten the knot.

STEP 4:Cut off the extra bits just after the knot.

There you have it! An easy way to make hair ties yourself! I usually make sure the knot is underneath so it doesn’t show. This way, you can make hair ties whenever you need them for a lesser price and they usually last longer as well. Win-win!

After having been gluten free, dairy free, almost Top 8 free for a year now, I have come up with some survival tips that I hope will help some of you.

Step away from the food that anyone else offers you
It might be rude but trust me, it’s not worth it. They could tell you that it’s gluten free but did you know that there are quite a few people who don’t know what items contain gluten? What if they added soy sauce to it? Or maybe some oats? What if it actually is gluten free but they packed the food without having washed their hands after making a sandwich? Not worth it, my friend.

Beware of restaurants
Avoid eating at restaurants unless they have a clear understanding of what it means to be gluten free. Regular restaurants will be sharing kitchen equipment, utensils, space, etc. all contributing to cross contamination.

Salad dressing is your enemy
If I go out to eat, I will sometimes have salads but skip the dressing. Unless the waiter/waitress can provide you with an ingredient/allergen list for the dressing, you’re not going to know what’s in it. Keep it simple – drizzle with olive oil or squeeze a lemon over it but skip the dressing.

Always read the ingredients
With the above being said, I cannot stress the importance of knowing what’s in your food. Even at restaurants that have allergy friendly/gluten free food, always double check the ingredients. Also, don’t forget to read the ingredients on other products like handwash, body wash, shampoos, creams and makeup. You might be surprised to see that they contain ingredients like gluten, milk, and oats. To make matters worse, they use the technical names of these items, making it harder for the common person to identify. I have gone to the extent of googling each and every single ingredient on a product to make sure that none of them are derived from offending foods. Don’t just go by the sticker that says “gluten free.” Some gluten free foods STILL contain gluten, but those amounts are apparently ‘negligible.’ Tell that to my stomach.

Take note of gluten free restaurants
Google for a list of restaurants in places that you are likely to visit often. If you have pro memory skills, store this data mentally. Otherwise, a list on your phone or in your diary/wallet will suffice. Go to the websites of these restaurants and have a look at their gluten-free menu online. If you find meals that are suitable for you, make a note of it. If you wish to call the restaurant for further clarification, do so. This way, the next time you go out with your friends, you can suggest a restaurant where you can also (finally) eat a meal with them, instead of sitting in the corner of the table away from all the gluten with an empty plate, trying hard not to let your tears fall onto it.

Carry plastic spoons, hand sanitizer and tissues/wipes
This has been a life saver. Sometimes, I carry food with me when I know I’m going to be out for long hours. Because of this, I bought a set of plastic spoons and take them with me, so that I can avoid using spoons in my friends’ houses. The reason is that sometimes, it just gets a bit awkward to have to wash the spoons in someone else’s house before eating. Also, when you’re being served and you’re given a spoon at the table, you’re just not sure whether the person handing it to you has gluten on their hands or not. It would be really weird if you’re served at the table and then get up to go wash the spoon and come back. It also helps when you’re out and you want to avoid eating with your hands (like I often do, in case I might have some gluten on me from shaking hands with people or something). The hand sanitizer and tissues or wipes work well for when you want to clean your hands before eating or after handling items that may be contaminated. It’s not always convenient to find a place to wash your hands (and honestly, I can’t always be bothered to wash my hands after coming in contact with things).

Carry snacks with you
Have you ever been at school or work, packing up, ready to go home and then you’re told that you need to put in an extra couple hours? Then your stomach starts rumbling in rebellion. Go grocery shopping and look for little snacks that you can nibble on when you’re on the go. Lately, I’ve been carrying Mrs Crimble’s Apple Flavour Rice Cakes since they come in convenient travel packs. ALWAYS carry snacks with you when you go out. Keep some in the car, throw some in your purse. You never know when you might be stuck outdoors, and for how long, without an allergen-free bite to eat. Sometimes you get so hungry that you think that you can afford to risk it and try to order a supposedly gluten free meal at a restaurant and then your stomach punishes you for it later. I used to do that. If my friends were going somewhere to eat, I’d just order fries thinking it would be safe. Potatoes, vegetable oil, salt. That seems pretty safe. Except that it wasn’t. I found out the hard way later. It’s not worth risking. It would be wise to invest in some travel sized airtight containers to pack your snacks in. I actually have a little bag that’s stacked with plastic spoons for when I eat outdoors. Pick a nice looking bag, stack it with tissues and plastic spoons and use it to carry food or snacks with you when you go out.

Fruits are your friends
When I went on holiday to India earlier this year, every time I got hungry, we’d stop by a fruit vendor and buy bananas and apples for me to eat. I still continue the practice here. Stop by any gas station or grocery store and buy bananas or any other fruit. Keeps you going for a few more hours at least! Great and healthy snack.

Learn to cook
Try replicating some of your old favourite meals without the allergens. It’s amazing that today, compared to several years ago, many allergy friendly recipes are available online. Tweak the recipes and experiment to find out what works for you. Bake cakes and indulge in cookies. Make smoothies. Give yourself a treat once in a while!

Don’t cry
I know it’s hard. I know you feel lonely. I feel awful every time I go out and can’t eat, or when I’m at a birthday celebration and everyone’s eating cake, while I stare. The good news is that over time, you will learn to cook for yourself and you will eventually come to realize that you are now eating so much healthier. Once I cut gluten out of my diet, I automatically ended up losing all the junk food. I never realized how much rubbish I had been putting into my body really. You get accustomed to living like this and then you find that it’s not so bad. You just have be a little more careful about your food choices but it’s worth it in the end. Nothing is worth the pain that comes with eating the offending foods. You’re feeling better and that’s all that matters. It’s difficult, but you can do this! 🙂

How many times have you bought nail polish that is a nice lovely light shade only to find out later that it is sheer?

I HATE IT. ARGH!

I like wearing sheer nail polish from time to time, especially very light pink shades. It gives my nails a glossy look, with a healthy pink tint. Looks lovely. Looks great on french manicures as well, instead of the usual clear coat. But sometimes, I want that exact light shade but opaque.

Case in point: O.P.I Nail Lacquer in ‘Passion’

Click on image to buy from Amazon for $5.99

Isn’t that an adorable colour? I was gifted this bottle and I was so excited to try it on. It’s SUCH a pretty shade! I love it so much! Except when I tried it on, I needed to put 4-5 thick coats to get the colour to show. I really hate it when the white part of the tips of my nails (the free edge) show under my nail polish. I just don’t like that.

Eureka moment. Apply white nail polish under the pink.

Use any white nail polish you have. I had some from a french manicure set and decided to use that. I put on two coats of white nail polish. One is enough if your white nail polish is opaque and smooth enough after the first coat.

Step 1: Apply white nail polish

Then apply the sheer pink nail polish. One coat brought out the colour but I wanted it a tad bit darker so I applied 2 coats.

Step 2: Apply the sheer nail polish colour

Look! Such a nice summery pastel colour! I love nude pink shades and this is just perfect! It’s beautiful! I love it! I always end up staring at my nails for ages when I do this colour.

Now instead of venting out frustration every time you end up with light coloured nail polish that turns out too sheer, you can try this out! Or just simply try it out with your sheer nail polishes to create a whole new look!